Welcome to our step-by-step guide designed to help you go from a simple idea to a full-fledged online business!
Here, we’ll cover all the essentials, such as:
- How to name your new business
- Choosing and registering your .CA domain name
- Building a memorable brand
- Steps for creating a great website
- And more!
So, let’s get started!
Chapter 1: Branding your business
Researching your market and competitors
So, where to start? A great first step is to research your market and competitors.
Researching your market starts with identifying the people (or groups of people) who are most likely going to be buying your product or service.
Next, you’ll want to find out who your main competitors are, what they offer and how your target audience generally feels about them.
Finally—you’ll want to do a little detective work. Conduct in-person interviews or online surveys with your potential customers. This can help you gain a ton of insights that’ll help inform your overall messaging and approach.
Choosing a name for your business
Once you understand more about your market and competitors, the next step is to pick your business name. Your business name is the building block of your brand and will reflect your business for years to come.
Stuck on how to pick a great name? Here are ways to generate business name ideas:
- Think about the product or service you are offering.
- Consider using your name.
- Use a business name generator.
- Make a list of words that describe your business.
Remember: when choosing a business name, make sure it’s easy to pronounce and remember, easy to spell and won’t limit your growth if you plan on expanding in the future.
Researching your business name
You have ideas for a business name, but before you register it with the government and order 1,000 business cards, do a search of the following:
- The general web. Search your business name ideas online to check if an existing business is already using it or if there’s an alternative meaning you didn’t know about.
- Registered business names and trademarks. Order a Nuans report to search existing Canadian corporate names and conduct a search of registered trademarks in Canada on the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) website.
- Domain names. You can search for available .CA domain names using a tool called WHOIS. If the one you want is taken, you may want to look at alternatives—we’ll get into that later.
- Social media handles. Which social media platforms are you going to use to promote your business? Find what handles are available.
Check domain name availability
Before finalizing your business name, and before registering any trademarks, make sure to check if your .CA domain name is available. Use our trusty .CA domain search tool below to see if your business name is available as a .CA domain. It’s as simple as plugging your name into the search bar—seriously.
If your name is available, you’ll be presented with a list of CIRA-approved domain name registrars, who will happily sell you a domain name registration.
Curious if your business name is available?
Register your business name and trademark
Once you find the perfect business name, and ideally after you have registered your domain, it is time to register it with the government. Failing to register your business name can result in significant fines and other legal issues.
You should also consider registering a trademark to protect your brand. Trademarks are elements that make your business unique such as words, slogans, designs and more. Registering your trademarks shows that it is yours and prevents competitors from using it or something similar.
Chapter 2: Building a website vs. using social media
Why your business needs more than social platforms
There is no shortage of ways to get your business online. For instance, if you want to sell your colourful hand-knit toques, you could start an Etsy store—or go with a social platform, like Facebook.
But here’s the thing: an Etsy store or Facebook business listing shouldn’t be the main source of your digital presence. While Etsy and Facebook pages can be free and quick and easy to get started, you don’t own those platforms and don’t have the control and flexibility to run your business your way.
Instead—your focus should be on building a website with a custom .CA domain and using these other platforms to support your business operations and marketing.
Why you need a website for your business
Having a website is critical for business success, regardless of the industry it falls in. A website establishes a digital presence for your business and generates additional leads. In today’s age, most perspective customers check to see if you have a website before they make a purchase.
Reasons why your business needs a website
- Credibility. Nowadays, most customers will check to see if you have a website before ever making a purchase. Without a website, people may question the legitimacy of your offerings. A professional website provides a great first impression to prospective customers and shows that you’re a real business.
- Customer service. Websites save you time by answering your customers’ frequently asked questions like your business hours, location and contact information. Providing this information is critical on any website to ensure great user experience.
- Brand. A website communicates to your prospective customers what your business is all about. It tells them who you are, what you stand for and what you have to offer. Customer testimonials and reviews are a great piece of content to feature on your website to further show off your brand’s value.
- Exposure. Building a website and optimizing it for SEO will help your business’ discoverability online. This means that when people are searching for a product or service, there is a chance your website will be amongst the Google search results.
Chapter 3: Bring your business online
Why domain names matter to businesses
You have a business name and now you want to get a website for your business. Not so fast! The first step is to register your domain name. Before you even start building your website, secure your domain name so you can protect your brand and take your name off the market. A .CA domain will also let customers know that your website is safe, credible and trusted.
Registering a .CA domain name is quick, easy, and is a relatively small expense.
What is a domain name?
A domain name is the address that helps users connect to the websites they are looking for. Instead of having to remember an Internet Protocol (IP) address (something like 11.11.11.111), a domain name translates that long string of numbers into a simple web address like www.cira.ca.
When choosing a domain name, you must pick an appropriate extension—the section of your domain name after the dot. Some domain extensions are affiliated with countries like .CA for Canada or .fr for France.
How to choose a domain name for your business
You can take the traditional route and match your domain name to your business name. However, there are a few other variations you can try if you want a catchy domain name or if the name you want is already taken.
See how other businesses have used different name formats for their domain:
| Business name | Naming strategy | Domain name |
|---|---|---|
| Peace by Chocolate | Business name | peacebychocolate.ca |
| Kichesippi Brewing Company | One letter from business name + product | kbeer.ca |
| Mountain Equipment Co-op | Abbreviation | mec.ca |
| Mrs. McGarrigal’s Fine Food and Mustard | Product keyword | mustard.ca |
| Switch Energy | Catchy call-to-action | maketheswitch.ca |
| Bread and Butter Bakery and Fine Pastries | Short version of business name | breadandbutter.ca |
| Number 9 Audio Group | Letter + number | number9.ca |
| Tails and Trails | Business name + serviced location | tailsandtrailsnl.ca |
Tip: try to register a short domain name if possible. Shorter names are easier to remember and type into a web browser.
About half of currently registered .CA domain names are between five and 12 characters long.*
*.CA Insights Report
Curious if your business name is available?
Do you need a domain portfolio?
Domain names are relatively inexpensive, (it’s the hosting and other add-ons that add up), so registering additional ones and redirecting them to your main site can help you protect your brand and capture additional traffic.
Examples of businesses using a domain portfolio:
Your domain contains a word that’s commonly misspelled or spelled differently in American English:
neighborhoodcoffee.ca → neighbourhoodcoffee.ca
You want to claim/reserve other domain extensions but keep your primary domain proudly Canadian:
ratehub.com → ratehub.ca
You want to use a short, catchy domain in print material or for a campaign:
rd.ca → readersdigest.ca
You have an Internationalized Domain Name (IDN) with accented characters but want to forward it to the non-IDN version:
cirà.ca → cira.ca
.CA vs. .com: which is better?
It’s one of the biggest debates for the digital age: do you go with .CA or .com for your newly minted online business? We can help you make the right decision for your business!
.CA is the best choice if you’re a business that:
- Sells mainly to Canadians.
- Provides services in a specific Canadian geographic region (think florists, plumbers, record shops, restaurants, etc.)
- Feature Canada as a proud central element of their brand.
Now—here’s the twist. You don’t need to pick .CA OR .com. Rather —you can get a .CA and a .com. Having both can be ideal if you want to:
- Operate internationally (or have plans to expand).
- Better protect and control your brand online.
Need a little more background? Check out our .CA vs. .com blog post!
Why get a .CA domain?
The Canadian connection
A .CA domain name means a business is 100% Canadian, because to register a .CA domain, individuals, businesses or organizations must meet CIRA’s Canadian Presence Requirements.
Ease of shopping
A .CA domain tells customers that you:
…charge in CAD dollars
…ship to Canada
…pay and collect Canadian taxes
User preference
Canadians are 4x more likely to prefer .CA than .com websites for shopping when they have a choice.*
*Strategic Counsel, 2022
SEO advantage
Using a .CA domain means Canadian businesses see an increase in search. For searches in Canada about Canadian topics, search engines like Google tend to favour local results which can lead to increased website traffic and leads.
Trust
.CA is an established top-level domain and recognized as a safe, secure and trusted resource for Canadians. CIRA has been managing the registry since 2000.
Availability
Avoid thatreallylongdomainname.com. You might have a better chance of getting the domain name you really want as a .CA.
How to register your domain name
Once you’re ready to get rolling with a domain name, here’s how you get it registered and living on the interweb!
1. Search for an available .CA domain name.
Find out if a domain name is available to register by using our domain search tool.
If it’s not available, you can:
- select a suggested alternative that appears,
- search again for a different domain, or
- look into getting a domain that’s already taken
2. Choose the best domain registrar.
CIRA manages .CA for all Canadians, but we don’t sell domains directly. Using our search tool, select a registrar that meets your needs and price point.
View a full list of .CA Certified Registrars
3. Buy your domain name.
Once you’ve chosen a registrar, you’ll go through their site to complete your registration. This often involves providing your contact info, selecting a registration term (up to 10 years) and ensuring you meet Canadian Presence Requirements.
Bonus step: you may also have the chance to scoop up any common variations of your domain name. Think of this as cheap, easy brand protection!
Chapter 4: Guidelines to branding your online business
Importance of branding
Before you build a website or start printing business cards, it is important to think about your brand identity. Branding is all about setting yourself apart from your competitors and building a reputation. Your brand is how people perceive your business, so it is an important aspect to plan out.
Follow these steps to begin building your brand:
- Determine your target audience. Research who your potential customers are and what they are interested in. This helps your business cater to these audiences effectively.
- Find a brand voice and personality. Think of your brand as a person. How would they act? Write three to five adjectives that describe your business. Let these set the stage for your voice and tone on social media and in writing.
- Choose colours. Think about how you want to visually represent your brand. Canva.ca guides you through the process of picking the right colour palette for your business.
- Select fonts. Pick two fonts at most, one for headings and another for body text. The chosen fonts should be clear and easy to read. Try to avoid fonts for body text that use a cursive script or all capitals. For text colour, keep it simple and always make sure it contrasts with the background colour.
- Create a logo. This will represent your brand and be used in many areas of your business. Create a logo that is unique and captures what your business is all about.
- Register trademarks. Anything that you create like slogans, logos and product or service names should be registered as trademarks with the government to protect your branding.
Tip: When branding your business, consistency is key.
You can’t build a brand without maintaining consistency as you extend your brand to every part of your business like your website, promotional materials and product packaging.
Design your logo
Having a logo for your business is a key component to branding and recognition. A logo helps build recognition amongst customers and promotes your business.
Don’t have design experience? Don’t worry, building a great logo for your business is easy and there are many free tools that can help. Before you start building your logo, keep these tips in mind:
- Know your brand colours.
- Keep it simple and clean.
- Use a transparent background.
- Ensure it is scalable for any size.
Choose a logo type
You have a few options when designing your logo.
Think about which style fits your brand the best:
Pictorial mark logo
An icon-based logo that represents your business
Wordmark logo
A unique text-only logo using your business name
Combination of both
Combination of words, acronyms, or initials presented as an icon
Building your logo
You can hire a professional designer to create your custom logo, or you can create it yourself. This decision depends on how much money and time you have to spend on the process.
Here are some great, free tools to get you started:
- Vistaprint.ca. Choose an icon, enter your business name and secondary text and let Vistaprint create logo design ideas for you. Once you find one you like, you can further edit it and customize it to your liking.
- Canva.ca. Pick from thousands of professional templates or create your own, custom logo from scratch. Canva also offers a logo generator which makes it even easier to design your own logo.
Things you can do with your logo:
1. Make business cards
2. Add it to your website
3. Customize stationery and product packaging
Before you build your logo, see if your domain name is available
Chapter 5: Design your website
DIY vs hiring someone to design your website
Before you begin designing your website, you need to decide whether you want to build it yourself or hire a professional. Here’s the good news: building a website yourself has never been easier (or more fun). With all the intuitive, easy-to-use platforms and tools out there, you don’t need advanced coding skills to create a fully functional digital home for your business.
But there’s something to be said for handing over the reigns to a web design professional. So, which way do you go?
Start by asking yourself the following questions:
- How complex do I need my website to be?
- If you only need a simple site to house your work portfolio and contact info, you can absolutely handle that yourself.
- Now, if you want to create a full-fledged business website with more advanced functionality, such as the ability to handle transactions, or display galleries of products, then you might consider hiring a professional.
- How much time do you have and what’s your appetite for learning?
- Let’s say you don’t need a super-complicated site but need to get it up and running quickly. Then, you’re probably better off building a website yourself.
- At the same time—if you’re in a rush, but need a complex, feature-rich website, then it’s probably best to pay someone.
- Having time on your side can give you the space to learn and experiment as you build your website.
- What’s your budget?
- Building a website doesn’t need to be expensive. In fact—it’s generally…not. Website building platforms like Wix or Weebly can cost as little as $5 or $7 per month.
- If you hire a web developer for a basic fully custom-built site, you’re probably looking at $5,000 – $8,000 when all is said and done. This all depends on how much content you’re adding or customization you need.
Tip: don’t rely on the free domain extensions web building platforms provide you.
Using a free domain extension like yourwebsite.wordpress.com will make it hard for your website to be found online.
Best practice is to register your own domain name.
Website design best practices 2025
We aren’t all website design pros, and that’s okay! Whether you’re building it yourself or hiring somebody to do it for you, you can create an amazing and effective website for your business.
Follow the checklist below to ensure you optimize your website and provide a great user experience for your customers.
Website designing checklist
1. Have a “coming soon” page. This is a great way to start building leads and help your site rank in search results early while you build your website. It also provides credibility and maintains a professional appearance until you are ready to launch your website.
2. Stick to a colour palette. Make sure to incorporate your brand colours and stick to a few colours. Ensure that these colours are easy on the eye and complement each other.
3. No clutter. Leave room for content to breath on the page and include white space. This makes it easier for users to focus, process information and understand what is important.
4. Break up text. No one wants to read an essay, so make sure to break up your written content into short paragraphs, accompanied with headers. This helps customers skim the content to find what they need quickly.
5. Proofread, proofread, proofread. When writing content for your site, read it over several times. Have a friend that’s a great writer or editor? See if they can be a second set of eyes. Misspelled words give the impression to your customers that you don’t pay attention to your work.
6. Keep your navigation simple. A maximum of six to seven categories should be used in your navigation. Common practice is to put the most important items at the beginning, the least important items in the middle and the “Contact” page last as this is the standard location.
7. Include a “Contact Us” section. Make sure to have your business location, store hours and contact details listed and kept up to date. These are frequently looked at by customers so it’s important that they are easy to find.
8. Don’t make users scroll for years. Users want a fast and enjoyable user experience so ensure you keep short pages and make your navigation elements clear.
9. Link social media accounts. Provide accessible links to your social media accounts to generate traffic and help build your business credibility. Social media accounts are a great way to showcase your products or services.
10. Test site functionality often. It is critical that customers have a good user experience with your site. Make sure all items on your website work properly and test items like links, pages, buttons and forms.
11. Optimize for mobile. Seventy-two percent of Canadians are most likely to connect to the internet using a smartphone or mobile device. This is why you need to ensure your website is mobile-friendly. This may mean altering or removing some elements so users have a seamless experience.
Chapter 6: How CIRA’s helping you bring your business online
Hello from Ottawa!
We’re the Canadian Internet Registration Authority—but you can call us CIRA. We’re the folks best known for managing the .CA domain name registry on behalf of all Canadians. We’re a not-for-profit, member-based organization that that is helping build a better online Canada.
.CA gives back
Through our Net Good grant program, we support projects, communities and policies that help to make the internet stronger, safer and more accessible for all Canadians. We also fund grants for community-led initiatives through an annual call for applications.
Plus—a portion of proceeds from every .CA domain sold go back into supporting the wider Canadian internet community.
Just another great reason to get a .CA, in our humble opinion!
Speaking of which—how about you go ahead and register that domain you’ve been thinking of all this time? Don’t worry—we’ll wait up for you.
See if your name is available as a .CA today!
Now, doesn’t that put a perfect bow on this e-book?
We wish you all the best with your Canadian entrepreneurial pursuits. Remember—for anything .CA domain related, reach out to us for support!
